diff --git a/Debug/FileLocation.hs b/Debug/FileLocation.hs
--- a/Debug/FileLocation.hs
+++ b/Debug/FileLocation.hs
@@ -1,22 +1,16 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell #-}
+-- | functions that help you with debugging.
+-- Most would make sense in the Debug.Trace module
+-- There are Template Haskell versions that show you file locaiton information
 module Debug.FileLocation
-  (debug, debugM, debugMsg, dbg, dbgMsg, trc, ltrace, ltraceM, strace)
+  (debug, debugM, debugMsg, dbg, dbgMsg, trc, ltrace, ltraceM, strace, traceId)
   where
 
 import Language.Haskell.TH.Syntax
-import Debug.Trace
+import Debug.Util
+import Debug.Trace (trace)
 import FileLocation.LocationString (locationToString)
 
--- | A version of Debug.Trace.trace that just prints a value.
--- This should be included in Debug.Trace
-debug :: Show a => a -> a
-debug = ltrace "DEBUG"
-
--- | A version of Debug.Trace.trace that just prints a value and a message.
--- This should be included in Debug.Trace
-debugMsg :: Show a => String -> a -> a
-debugMsg msg = ltrace ("DEBUG: " ++ msg)
-
 -- | TH  version of Debug.Trace.trace that just prints a value.
 dbg :: Q Exp
 dbg = do
@@ -45,22 +39,3 @@
   loc <- qLocation
   let prefix = "DEBUG: " ++ (locationToString loc) ++ " "
   [|(\x -> ltraceM (prefix ++ show x) x)|]
-
--- | monadic debug - like debug, but works as a standalone line in a monad
--- TODO: TH version with error loaction info
-debugM :: (Monad m, Show a) => a -> m a
-debugM a = debug a `seq` return a
-
--- | trace (print on stdout at runtime) a showable expression
--- like debug, but does not print "DEBUG: "
-strace :: Show a => a -> a
-strace a = trace (show a) a
-
--- | labelled trace - like strace, with a label prepended
-ltrace :: Show a => String -> a -> a
-ltrace l a = trace (l ++ ": " ++ show a) a
-
--- | monadic debug - like debug, but works as a standalone line in a monad
--- TODO: TH version with error loaction info
-ltraceM :: (Monad m, Show a) => String -> a -> m a
-ltraceM str a = ltrace str a `seq` return a
diff --git a/Debug/Util.hs b/Debug/Util.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Debug/Util.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+-- | functions that help you with debugging.
+-- Most would make sense in the Debug.Trace module
+module Debug.Util 
+  (debug, debugM, debugMsg, ltrace, ltraceM, strace, traceId)
+  where
+
+import Debug.Trace (trace)
+
+-- | A version of Debug.Trace.trace that just prints a value.
+-- This should be included in Debug.Trace
+debug :: Show a => a -> a
+debug = ltrace "DEBUG"
+
+-- | A version of Debug.Trace.trace that just prints a value and a message.
+-- This should be included in Debug.Trace
+debugMsg :: Show a => String -> a -> a
+debugMsg msg = ltrace ("DEBUG: " ++ msg)
+
+
+-- | monadic debug - like debug, but works as a standalone line in a monad
+-- TODO: TH version with error loaction info
+debugM :: (Monad m, Show a) => a -> m a
+debugM a = debug a `seq` return a
+
+-- | trace (print on stdout at runtime) a showable expression
+-- like debug, but does not print "DEBUG: "
+-- traceId is an alias for strace
+-- strace stands for "show trace"
+-- traceId means it returns itself after tracing like the id function
+strace, traceId :: Show a => a -> a
+strace a = trace (show a) a
+
+traceId = strace
+
+-- | labelled trace - like strace, with a label prepended
+ltrace :: Show a => String -> a -> a
+ltrace l a = trace (l ++ ": " ++ show a) a
+
+-- | monadic debug - like debug, but works as a standalone line in a monad
+-- TODO: TH version with error loaction info
+ltraceM :: (Monad m, Show a) => String -> a -> m a
+ltraceM str a = ltrace str a `seq` return a
diff --git a/file-location.cabal b/file-location.cabal
--- a/file-location.cabal
+++ b/file-location.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:                file-location
-Version:             0.2.2
+Version:             0.2.3
 Synopsis:            common functions that show file location information
 Homepage:            https://github.com/gregwebs/ErrorLocation.hs
 License:             BSD3
@@ -40,8 +40,10 @@
   location:    https://github.com/gregwebs/FileLocation.hs
 
 Library
-  Exposed-modules: FileLocation, Debug.FileLocation
-  Other-modules: FileLocation.LocationString
+  Exposed-modules: FileLocation,
+                   Debug.FileLocation,
+                   Debug.Util,
+                   FileLocation.LocationString
   
   -- Packages needed in order to build this package.
   Build-depends: base >= 4 && < 5,